Business · 4 min read

The path toward zero emissions

07 June 2018

As a global logistics leader, DHL has been setting the bar high for years in our industry – and that includes going green.

That’s because we feel a strong sense of responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint, and to use our size and global reach to improve people’s lives. We play an important role in global trade, and therefore the global economy, but our values drive us to do business in a way that keeps our greenhouse gas emissions as low as possible.

And we’ve been doing it now for over a decade, through a Group-wide environmental protection program we call GoGreen. After reaching many green milestones and achieving a significant improvement in our carbon efficiency, we’ve raised the bar once again: now our 'Mission 2050' is to reduce all logistics-related emissions to zero by the year 2050.

Here’s a timeline of what we’ve achieved so far:

2006

DHL introduces the first green product portfolio in the logistics industry and for the first-time customers have the option of sending carbon neutral parcels. The 'GoGreen Pluspäckchen' – a simple yet forward-thinking product – is a specially designed box made of recycled cardboard and used for shipping small private packages in Germany. With the sale of each box, an investment is made in global climate protection initiatives. Today, the GoGreen portfolio goes well beyond carbon neutral shipping products to include carbon reports that help business customers understand and minimize their environmental impact, green optimization solutions to help design more environmentally friendly supply chains, and circular economy solutions drawing on our experience to help customers reduce waste, ensure compliance whilst driving efficient business models.

2008

Deutsche Post DHL Group, which includes Germany’s domestic mail service and DHL’s international services, becomes the first global logistics company to set a quantifiable climate protection target: reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2020 for every letter mailed, every container shipped and every square meter of space used.

2010

The company reaches its first interim target two years ahead of schedule, increasing the carbon efficiency of its own operations between 2008 and 2010 by 10% over 2007 levels.

2014

Deutsche Post DHL Group cements sustainability as a cornerstone of its corporate strategy with the release of 'Strategy 2020 Focus. Connect. Grow.' which outlines the Group’s strategic priorities for the coming years. In addition to ambitious financial targets, the new corporate strategy aims to make the Group the benchmark for responsible business.

2015

The Deutsche Post DHL StreetScooter goes into series production. After unveiling the first prototype in 2012 and beginning pre-series production in 2013, the company’s purpose-built electric delivery vehicle begins to roll off the assembly line, marking the beginning of a new era in e-mobility in the logistics industry. By the end of the year, some 100 StreetScooters are in operation in Germany, making mail and parcel deliveries quieter and more environmentally friendly. Today, with an array of StreetScooter models and sizes numbering in the thousands, Deutsche Post DHL Group operates the largest electric fleet in the country.

2016

The company reaches its 2020 climate protection goal early, improving carbon efficiency between 2008 and 2016 by 30% over 2007 levels.

2017

Having exceeded its initial climate goals, the company sets its sights on an even more ambitious target: reducing all logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050. To keep track of progress, four interim goals are set for 2025. Hitting the targets means committing a significant amount of the company’s innovation capital to the zero emissions goal.

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With 2050 still a long way off – and zero emissions logistics clearly a huge challenge – Deutsche Post DHL Group has set a series of interim goals to ensure focus and measure progress:

1. Increase carbon efficiency by 50% compared to 2007 levels

2. Operate 70% of own first and last mile services with clean pick-up and delivery solutions

3. Incorporate Green Solutions into more than 50% of sales

4. Certify 80% of employees as GoGreen specialists

Lowering Carbon Dioxide emissions is just one of the ways forward-thinking companies are changing how they do business. Globalization offers both opportunities and responsibilities, and the future will be in the hands of those global businesses that deliver social benefits, sustainable environments and value in the broadest sense around the world. The logistics industry is a key player in this new paradigm.